Heel and method of making the same



or other of the cheaper and analogous com. positions of leather or paper. The term leatherboard, therefore, is used in a generic sense to include any suitable heel-stock material.

The term"lift is also used in an inclusive sense to define any blank or layer of material that is adapted for use in the formation of heel-piles from which heels are ultimately produced, irrespective of the particular shape of the blanks or the nature of the material of which they are composed.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the invention comprises both the method of making heels, hereinafter described in detail, and the heel which results from practising the method, as defined by the appended claims.

The particular steps employed in preparing the novel article of manufacture and their preferred sequence, as well as the preferred form of the article, will now be ex plained in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rough heel-pile built up of superposed lifts of polygonal form; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the heel-pile shown in Fig. 1, which has been permanently nailed together, the ends of the nails protruding slightly from the tread end of the heel-pile; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the heel-pile with a top-lift attached. Fig. 4 is a similar view of the heel-pile shown in Fig 3 after slugs have been driven into the top-lift; Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of a preliminarily shaped heel of definite form that has been trimmed from the heel-pile illustrated in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a similar view of a shaped heel in position in a mould and about to be compressed to final size and form, the lateral surface of which may have been previously filled with a sizing material; Fig. 7 is a erspective view of a heel compressed to 'nal size and form with the randing out upon the upper edge of the base lift, and Fig. 8 is a similar View of a completely finished heel that has been subjected to the necessary or desirable finishing operations, after which the beading or key-wheel marking has been impressed and the heel thus made ready for subsequent attachment to a shoe having a short outsole.

In accordance with the preferred method of practicing the invention, a rough heelpile 10 (Fig. 1) of superposed lifts of leatherboard is built up and temporarily se' cured together in any well-known manner. As shown, the heel-pile is formed of polygonal lifts, although lifts of any shape may, of course, be employed, and it embodies a leatherboard base-lift 12 that is somewhat shorter than the other lifts and is indented slightly from the breast end of the heel'pile.

The component lifts of this rough heelpile are then permanently and finally secured together by means of nails 14 that are positioned so as to protrude slightly from the tread end of the heel, as shown in Fig. 2. A top-lift 16 is then spanked on or attached in a well-known manner (Fig. 3), and subsequently a row of slugs 18 (Fig. 4) is driven into the top-lift in accordance with customary practice. Obviously, the use of slugs is optional and may be omitted if desired. Furthermore, they may be positioned in the top-lift before it is attached to the heel-pile.

The preliminarily formed rough heel-pile,

as illustrated in Fig. 4, is then trimmed or.

formed in any suitable manner to a definite and regular shape that corresponds to the shape of the heel when finished, but which is slightly larger in dimensions, in order that it may be subsequently consolidated and compressed in a suitable mould. The trimming operation is preferably performed in a machine similar to that set forth in Letters Patent No. 1,102,310 granted July 7, 1914-, to the present applicant, by means of which the heel-pile is shaved or cut off to a definite shape by a series of rapidly rotating' knives. Any suitable means for definitely shaping the rough heel-pile, however, may be employed. Fig. 5 represents a shaped heel that has been trimmed or cut from the rough heel-pile illustrated in Fig. 4.

If deemed desirable the lateral surface of the shaped heel, or at least of the base-lift thereof, is then filled with a suitable sizing material, and at this stage of the process, the shaped heel is particularly adapted to receive the sizing, since its surface is somewhat roughened and the pores opened up as a. result of the previous trimming or shaving operation. The sizing material, therefore, penetrates the surface of the heel to an appreciable extent and also serves to raise or turn out the exposed fibres.

Assuming that the whole or a portion of the lateral surface of the shaped heel has been treated in the general manner referred to, the sizing is preferably permitted to dry to a greater or less extent, after which the shaped and sized heel is placed into a suitable mould or compressor, as illustrated in Fig. 6, preferably such as set forth in Letters Patent No. 1,334,478, issued March 23, 1920, to the present applicant. The heel is then moulded or compressed under heavy pressure to its final size and form, during which operation the heel as a whole is condensed and consolidated, while the outer fibres that have been raised by the sizing material are turned in and forced into the lateral surface of the heel, which is thus compacted and rendered particularly hard and smooth.

The sizing treatment and subsequent compression results in effecting a change in the characteristics and properties of the lateral surface of the heel, which render it especia'llyadapted to take the subsequent finishing operations and which. produce in the leatherboard base-lift a lateral surface having properties. that permit the cutting of a smoothand clean-cut randing and a-d'istinct and permanent key-wheel marking or headmg.

i "The. compressing operation on a definitely is cut around the upper'edge of the'baselift12- in any well-known manner, and as a result of the previous. treatment of the heel, this cutting, operation is facilitated and a clean-cuti' and smooth randing is insured.

"Theheel is then subjected to the usual finishing operations, such as scouring, blacking, burnishing, breasting, etc, as a result of-wliich the heel is ultimately finished and polished, after Which the key-wheel marking or heading is impressed upon the edge of the base-lift. Thus, a com letelyfin ished unitary heel is produce olf the shoe, which is ready for application and attachmentto a shoe. having ashort outsole.

(By reason of the factnthat-the heel is compressed to final .size and shape, it requires no further trimming or alteration, andthe improved and beneficial qualities of thelateral surface of the heel are retained and contribute toa complete heel of superior finish and durability. Moreover, inasmuch as. the heel is compressed to final and definite shape and size, only light scouring operations arenecessary, which are insu-fiicient to remove and out beneath the mproved and modified surface of the heel,

so that the benefits of the improvedqua'lities are not sacrificed by removal during the finishing operations. The finishing of the tread surface of the top-lift is particu larly facilitated by reason of slugging the top-lift before compression, inasmuch as the ends of the slugs are slightly depressed beneath the surface of; the compressed heel, so that only a slight amount ofscouring of the slugs and top-lift surface is required.

In the above process, the step of trimmi-ng or shaping the rough heel-pile is of special importance, for the reason that the shapedfheel is adapted to fitclosely within the'mould of the compressor throughout its entire surface, whereby the pressure to which theheel is subjected is uniformly distributed, thus resulting in a more uniformly consolidated product. Moreover, thetrimming operation roughens the later-alsurf-ace and opens the pores of theheel, so that the penetration of the sizing-nmterial, when used, is increased and rendered particularly effective.

The sizing or filling step is also "advantageousinathat it -contributes to theimproved and modified characteristics and properties of the lateral heel surface, which materiallyaid in finishing the heel andwhich are particularly important in unitary heels of leatherboard that are completely finished off the shoe, the base-lift of which must he randed and impressed with key-wheel markings.

In. describing the trimming of the heel heel has been set forth as including a predetermined sequence of steps, those skilled in the art will readily understand that omissions and variations of some of the steps may be made within the'spirit and scope of the invention, and therefore it is desired that onlysuch limitations shall be imposed as are indicated inthe appended claims.

Having thus described the novel features of the heel of the present invention and the preferred method by which it may be prepared, that which is claimed as new, is

1. The method of making heels that are finished before attachment to the shoe, which comprises building a rough heel-pile of superposed lifts, nailing together the component lifts thereof, attaching a top-lift thereto, trimming the resulting products to definite shape, compressing the shaped heel to final sizeand form, and subsequently finishing the heel eadyhfor application to a shoe.

2. The method of making heels which includes building a rough heel-pile of superposed lifts, nailing together the component lifts thereof, attaching a top-lift thereto, trimming the resulting productto definite shape, and moulding the shaped heel under heavy pressure.

The method of making heels whi h includes-building a rough heel-pile of superposed lifts, nailing together the component lifts thereof, sluggingand attaching a toplift, trimming the resulting product to definite shape, and moulding the shaped heel' under heavy pressure.

4. Themethodof making heels which includes building a rough heel-pile of superposed lifts, attaching a top-lift thereto,

trimming the resulting product to definite shape, and compressing the shaped heel.

5. The method of making heels which includes building a rough heel-pile of superposed lifts, slugging and attaching a toplift, trimming the resulting product to definite shape, and compressing the shaped heel.

6. The method of making heels that are finished before attachment to the shoe, which comprises building a rough heel-pile of superposed lifts, attaching a top-lift thereto, trimming the resulting product to definite shape, compressing the shaped heel to final size and form, and finishing the heel ready for application to a shoe.

7. The method of making heels that are finished before attachment to the shoe, which comprises building a rough heel-pile of superposed lifts, attaching a top-lift thereto, trimming the resulting product to definite shape, filling the surface of the shaped heel with sizing material, compressing the shaped and sized heel to final size, cutting the randing upon the compressed heel, and finishing the heel ready for application to a shoe.

8. The method of making heels that are finished before attachment to the shoe, which comprises building a rough heel-pile of superposed lifts with a leather top-lift and a base-lift of leatherboard, trimming the heel-pile to definite shape, filling the surface of at least the base-lift of the shaped heel with sizing material, compressing the shaped and sized heel to final size, cutting the randing in said leatherboard base-lift, and finishing the heel ready for application to a shoe.

9, The method of making heels which includes building a rough heel-pile of superposed lifts, nailing together the component lifts thereof, attaching a top-lift, trimming the heel-pile to definite shape, and compressing the heel under heavy pressure.

10. The method of making heels which comprises building a heel-pile of superposed lifts including a top-lift, slugging the toplift, and then moulding or compressing the heel.

11. The steps in the method of making heels of superposed lifts which include slugging the top-lift and then compressing the heel with the top-lift in place.

' 12. The steps in the method of making heels of superposed lifts which include finally nailing together the component lifts and then compressing the heel into form.

13. The steps in the method of making heels of superposed lifts to be subsequently attached to a shoe which include attaching a top-lift to a rough heel-pile, trimming the heel-pile and top-lift to definite shape, and compressing the heel by heavy pressure applied directly to all the exterior surfaces thereof.

14. The method of making heels for subsequent attachment to a shoe which comprises building a heel of superposed lifts including a leatherboard base-lift, filling the lateral surface of at least the base-lift of the heel with sizing material, compressing the heel to final size, and cutting the randing in said leatherboard base-lift.

.15. The steps in the method of making finished heels of superposed lifts, which include cutting the randing on the basc-lift of the heel, and then finishing the heel for subsequent attachment to the shoe.

16. A compressed and finally finished heel ready for attachment to a shoe, comprising a plurality of superposed lifts, including a base-lift of leatherboard.

17. A compressed and finally finished heel ready for attachment to a shoe, comprising a plurality of superposed lifts of leatherboard, the base-lift being indented from the breast edge and having a smooth, hard and compact surface of appreciable depth.

18. A compressed and finally finished heel ready for attachment to a shoe, comprising a leatherboard base-lift, a leather top-lift and intermediate lifts all in superposed relation, the lateral surface of the baselift being sized before compression, thereby rendering it smooth, hard and compact.

19. A compressed and finally finished heel ready for attachment to a shoe, comprising a plurality of superposed lifts, ineluding a sized and condensed leatherboard base-lift provided with a randing.

20. The method of making heels that are finished off the shoe which comprises building a rough heel-pile of superposed lifts, trimming the rough heel-pile to definite shape, moulding the shaped heel under heavy pressure to its final size and form, and then finishing the heel ready for attachment to the shoe.

21. The method of making heels that are finished before attachment to the shoe which comprises building a rough heel-pile of superposed lifts, trimming the heel-pile to definite shape, filling the lateral surface with sizing, compressing the shaped and sized heel to final size and form, and finishing the heel ready for application to a shoe.

22. The method of making heels which comprises building a heel-pile of superposed lifts, trimming the heel-pile to definite shape, compressing the shaped heel to final size and form, and finishing the heel prior to attaching it to a shoe.

2?). The method of making compressed heels of superposed lifts which comprises nailing together the component lifts of a heel-pile, attaching a top-lift thereto, and subsequently moulding the resulting product to final size and form under heavy pressure.

ment to a shoe, having its lateral surface- 24. The method of making compressed heels of superposed lifts which comprises nailing together the component lifts of a heel-pile, attaching a top-lift thereto, slugging the top-lift, and moulding the resulting product under heavy pressure.

25. A heel of superposed l'ifts, compressed to final size and form and completely finished for final attachment to a shoe.

26. A heel of superposed lifts, embodying a base-lift of leatherboard, compressed to final size and form, the base lift having a smooth, hard and compact lateral surface and theheel being completely finished and ready for final attachment to shoe.

27. A compressed and finally finished heel ready for attachment to a shoe, comprising a plurality of superposed lifts, including a sized and condensed leatherboard base-lift.

28. A leatherboard heel, ready for attachsized, compressed to final form and finished.

29. A compressed heel including a top lift provided with slugs before compression.

30. The method of making heels which i comprises building a heel of superposed lifts and of final size and form, finishing the lateral surface of said heel while off the shoe, and subsequently attaching the finished heel to the shoe.

31. The method of building heels that are finished before attachment to the shoe which 1 comprises building a heel-pileof superposed lifts, sizing the lateral surface of the heelpile, compressing the sized heel-pile to final size and form, and then finishing the heel ready for attachment to the shoe.

32. The method of making heels to be subsequently attached to a shoe which includes building a heel-pile of superposed lifts including a toplift, securing the component lifts of the heel-pile together, trimmingthe heel-pile to definite shape, and compressing the shaped heel-pile into a heel of final size and form.

33. The method of making heels for subsequent attachment to a shoe which comprises building a heel-pile of superposed nite shape, and

lifts including a top-lift, sizing the lateral surface of the heel, and compressing the heel to final size and form.

34. The method of making heels for subsequent attachment to a shoe which comprises building a heel-pile of superposed lifts, filling the lateral surface of the heel with sizing material, compressing the sized heel to final size and form and finishing the heel ready for application to a shoe.

The method of making heels which includes forming a rough heel of superposed heels of superposed lifts which includes slugging and attaching a top lift to a rough heel pile, trimming the resultant product to a definite shape, and compressingthe resultant heel to final size and form by heavy pressure applied directly to all the exterior surfaces thereof.

includes forming a rough heel of superposed lifts all of similar contour. attaching said lifts together with a top lift at one end and a base lift indented from the breast edge at the other end, trimming said heel to a deficompressing the trimmed heel.

39. The method of making heels that are finished before attachment to the shoe which comprises trimming a rough heel to definite shape, filling the lateral surface with sizing,

compressing the shaped and sized heel tofinal size and form, and finishing the heel ready for application to a shoe.

ERASTUS E. WINKLEY.

38. The .method of making heels which 

